Should Aaron Hicks bat leadoff?

[mikecgrimes]

We know he's not ready to hit for average yet, but since being moved down the order he has been a competent offensive player who has a leadoff hitter skill set. The best place for him right now is clearly Triple A but thats not an option. If Hicks continues to show progress throughout the year he won't be ashamed of what he put's on the back of his baseball card this year, and if we don't make a major move Hicks needs to be our opening day leadoff hitter in 2014.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I say put him in AAA and tank this season...

[Mr. Brooks]

If anything he's going the wrong way.

He drew 11 walks in April, just 5 in May.

His OBP has improved slightly, but it is till only .241 in May.

[mikecgrimes]

Maybe if he is moved back to leadoff he will start drawing walks again. If he can hit .215 with 10 walks in June I'll take it.

[mikecgrimes]

Hey look who's leading off the inning

[Riverbrian]

I assume the Twins Hitting Staff has a firm handle on his capabilities as a switch hitter.

 

It's hard for me to see it myself from my limited time watching him on TV. He sure looks like a RH hitter to me but the coaches would have to know that something is worth devoloping from the left side.

 

As for leadoff... Nope... I'd like a guy who can set a table better.

[kab21]

Why in the world would you move Hicks back to leadoff? He still isn't hitting well and if the Twins had literally any other options in CF he would be in AAA.

[Mike Sixel]

I say put your 2B there, that's what 2B are for, or maybe your SS......as for Hicks, I'd give up on LH hitting, but they are one stubborn team....so that isn't happening. Send him down, he's not ready for MLB right now, he's just not.

[nicksaviking]

As for leadoff... Nope... I'd like a guy who can set a table better.

 

Every waiter I've ever had at The Olive Garden sets the table better than anyone on this roster.

[LaBombo]

Every waiter I've ever had at The Olive Garden sets the table better than anyone on this roster.

Mmmm... bottomless breadstick basket...

 

Just so everyone's clear on the platoon split issue... Hicksie's right-handed slash is currently sitting at a very healthy .257/.325/.571 . Even with a slugging pct 150 points lower (and it decline as the home run spike evens out), most people including me would be thrilled with that as an overall line from both sides for the season.

 

But Hicks is batting .123/ .206/ .184 left-handed, with little or no improvement in the month of May. Whether he drops switch hitting or not, he needs to work on his swing in Rochester.

[LaBombo]

I say put him in AAA and tank this season...

Not sure I understand. You're saying the Twins will be markedly worse with Hicks in AAA?

[Danchat]

I'd stick to Carroll leadoff when he plays and whoever is batting the highest .OBP/.AVG any other day. (Who has some speed.)

[mikecgrimes]

Carroll is the best option on this roster right now, but when he gets hurt or traded Hicks is the guy in my opinion. If he's a career .220 hitter we will know soon enough but if he is the talent he has shown signs he is he will be our leadoff hitter for a longtime. I was in love with the kid even when he was hitting .070 so hitting .159 with 5 HR's I already have him penciled into the 2014 All-Star lineup.

[mikecgrimes]

0-7 for Carroll and Hicks gets a pair of big hit's, reward the kid sooner then later.

[LaBombo]

Carroll is the best option on this roster right now, but when he gets hurt or traded Hicks is the guy in my opinion. If he's a career .220 hitter we will know soon enough but if he is the talent he has shown signs he is he will be our leadoff hitter for a longtime. I was in love with the kid even when he was hitting .070 so hitting .159 with 5 HR's I already have him penciled into the 2014 All-Star lineup.

Parody, or whatever the politically correct word for idiocy is? Hard to tell...

[Brock Beauchamp]

More than anything, I think Aaron Hicks needs to be left alone for awhile. Just let him take his hacks against MLB pitching. Last night, he had a good game. If he falters for two weeks, reconsider moving him back to Rochester. If he keeps hitting (OPS now at .700 in May), then let him keep hitting.

 

Once he has stabilized a bit, then you consider jockeying him around the lineup.

[LaBombo]

If he falters for two weeks, reconsider moving him back to Rochester.

He has faltered for two months already, just like his minor league track record predicted that he would.

 

Despite another FSN highlight reel game, Hicksie is still batting just .133/.212/.225 against right-handed pitchers. That's not some kooky, random day/night, home/road split, it's three quarters of his at bats, it's terrible, and it's not improving.

 

He's terribly overmatched right now and needs to be promoted from his previous level to AAA so he can come up with some sort of game plan against pitchers who can throw the ball with their right hand. There are lots of them.

[Brock Beauchamp]

He has faltered for two months already, just like his minor league track record predicted that he would.

 

Despite another FSN highlight reel game, Hicksie is still batting just .133/.212/.225 against right-handed pitchers. That's not some kooky, random day/night, home/road split, it's three quarters of his at bats, it's terrible, and it's not improving.

 

He's terribly overmatched right now and needs to be promoted from his previous level to AAA so he can come up with some sort of game plan against pitchers who can throw the ball with their right hand. There are lots of them.

 

Over the past 28 days, he has posted an OPS of .700. Last night, he hit a homer and a double off RHP.

 

That earns him the right to keep flailing away at MLB pitchers for another two weeks. It's not as if the Twins have anyone better to take his spot in the lineup. As long as Aaron is producing at somewhere near a league-average rate, he deserves to be with the team, splits be damned.

[Craig Arko]

To answer the original question, yes but not until September at the earliest. As Brock suggests, the best thing to do now is not mess with him. He's showing some glimpses of figuring out the left side and if he continues to show progress there, this kid could be a solid 20/20 for years to come.

[LaBombo]

Over the past 28 days, he has posted an OPS of .700. Last night, he hit a homer and a double off RHP.

 

That earns him the right to keep flailing away at MLB pitchers for another two weeks. It's not as if the Twins have anyone better to take his spot in the lineup. As long as Aaron is producing at somewhere near a league-average rate, he deserves to be with the team, splits be damned.

 

Curse the splits all you want. At the end of the day, Aaron Hicks is batting .133/.212/.225 unless the pitcher is a lefty, even after the latest 'breakout' game.

 

Again: .133/.212/.225. That's awful. A guy who puts up that line over 2 months in the majors after skipping AA needs to be in AAA and figure out what the heck he's doing at the plate.

 

And in what is rapidly shaping up to be another 90+ loss season, it's hard to see what difference it makes to Hicks' mlb roster status whether or not there is someone better or even approximately as good as him to take his place. The Twins aren't going anywhere, even if they're not deprived of a .133/.212/.225 offensive juggernaut.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Curse the splits all you want. At the end of the day, Aaron Hicks is batting .133/.212/.225 unless the pitcher is a lefty, even after the latest 'breakout' game.

 

Again: .133/.212/.225. That's awful. A guy who puts up that line over 2 months in the majors after skipping AA needs to be in AAA and figure out what the heck he's doing at the plate.

 

And in what is rapidly shaping up to be another 90+ loss season, it's hard to see what difference it makes to Hicks' mlb roster status whether or not there is someone better or even approximately as good as him to take his place. The Twins aren't going anywhere, even if they're not deprived of a .133/.212/.225 offensive juggernaut.

 

And he'll never figure it out without some patience on everyone's part.

 

I was against the Hicks promotion in the first place. But now that he's here and starting to produce, you let the kid flail away until he stops producing. You don't turn him into a human ping-pong ball with promotions and demotions. You stand by your original decision until he forces your hand with bad play for an extended period of time, something he hasn't done since his first three weeks in April.

[fairweather]

Should Aaron Hicks bat leadoff? yes, against LHSP

[LaBombo]

And he'll never figure it out without some patience on everyone's part.

 

I was against the Hicks promotion in the first place. But now that he's here and starting to produce, you let the kid flail away until he stops producing. You don't turn him into a human ping-pong ball with promotions and demotions. You stand by your original decision until he forces your hand with bad play for an extended period of time, something he hasn't done since his first three weeks in April.

 

"Starting to produce"? What is your definition of production?

 

Patience went out the window when a guy who has always needed at least a year per level skipped a level. Patience is off the table. Wave goodbye to patience. Literally wave goodbye with your hand. What's left is sorting out where Hicks belongs now, which is AAA.

 

Ping pong ball? WTF are you talking about? How many Twins position players in the past decade haven't been up and down at least once? And where is the overwhelming body of evidence that suggests that skipping a level and then going back to it is worse for a player's development than being absolutely destroyed by the competition in the majors instead?

 

Aaron Hicks has been awful for two months. Two months of bad play is an extended period of time. Hand, meet forced.

[ashbury]

Mmmm... bottomless breadstick basket...

 

Not so bottomless. Eat there every day for a month, then take a look at your bottom.

 

As for Hicks, leave him where he is.

[LaBombo]

Not so bottomless. Eat there every day for a month, then take a look at your bottom.

 

As for Hicks, leave him where he is.

True dat, infinite carbs = potentially bad. But thanks to concerned relatives and friends, I have sworn never to look at my bottom again.

 

On the other hand, Aaron will have not one but two Olive Gardens to chose from in Rochester, and while dining there he absolutely will not be told to hide from Justin Verlander behind the watercooler.

[acrozelle]

"Patience went out the window when a guy who has always needed at least a year per level skipped a level. Patience is off the table. Wave goodbye to patience. Literally wave goodbye with your hand. What's left is sorting out where Hicks belongs now, which is AAA.

 

I agree with you that Hicks has been far from stellar the first two months of this season, but who would you have play CF instead? Mastroianni will not be back any time soon, Wilkin Ramirez is a question mark with concussion issues. Clete Thomas? Antoan Richardson? Really? Whether we like it or not, Hicks is the Twins best option in CF right now.

[ericchri]

Should Aaron Hicks bat leadoff? yes, against LHSP

I kind of like this notion. Has Gardenhire ever done a platoonish lineup, same players, just different spots in the order depending on a righty or lefty starting? I can't recall it in Gardy's time, but I readily recall the days of Hrbek batting 4th against righties and 7th against lefties under TK.

[Brock Beauchamp]

"Starting to produce"? What is your definition of production?

 

Patience went out the window when a guy who has always needed at least a year per level skipped a level. Patience is off the table. Wave goodbye to patience. Literally wave goodbye with your hand. What's left is sorting out where Hicks belongs now, which is AAA.

 

Ping pong ball? WTF are you talking about? How many Twins position players in the past decade haven't been up and down at least once? And where is the overwhelming body of evidence that suggests that skipping a level and then going back to it is worse for a player's development than being absolutely destroyed by the competition in the majors instead?

 

Aaron Hicks has been awful for two months. Two months of bad play is an extended period of time. Hand, meet forced.

 

Is a .700 OPS over the past month not good enough for you?

 

How is that "awful"? That's league average.

[ashbury]

Is a .700 OPS over the past month not good enough for you?

 

How is that "awful"? That's league average.

 

OPS being an apples+oranges stat, it sorta works (when it works) for typical cases but can fall down when applied to extreme cases. Which Hicks, an extreme work-in-progress, is. The man's season can be broken down into "eras" that stand out even when accounting for SSS. First was the "can't recognize a pitcher's out-pitch" era for two weeks, followed by "base on balls 50% of the time because no one is fool enough to throw him three strikes" for a week, followed by an era of making some useful contact, followed by this current era of ten games where for some reason he has gotten *zero* walks.

 

In one sense, you have to add these all up into one "season" - it is what it is. But for trying to get a bead on this guy? We're just not there yet. Because he's just not there yet. An OPS is either going to be cherry-picking of one of his "eras" or else a hopeless mishmash of two or more eras that give you very little predictive power for thinking about what to do with him.

[darin617]

We know he's not ready to hit for average yet, but since being moved down the order he has been a competent offensive player who has a leadoff hitter skill set. The best place for him right now is clearly Triple A but thats not an option. If Hicks continues to show progress throughout the year he won't be ashamed of what he put's on the back of his baseball card this year, and if we don't make a major move Hicks needs to be our opening day leadoff hitter in 2014.

 

Yes, Aaron Hicks should be batting leadoff for the Rochester Redwings. How far do you go before you hurt a players future by leaving him up at a level that he is clearly not ready to handle. And this has absolutely nothing to do to keep his service time under control.